A literature study was carried out to determine what is currently known about the contamination of irrigation water with plant-parasitic nematodes, and what control measures are currently available. Contamination sources ...

Soil is a non-renewable resource and supports all land-based forms of life. The sustainable production of crops is becoming progressively more critical as human populations increase and viable agricultural land decreases. ...

The vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), which is the dominant mealybug
species in South Africa, is a severe wine and table grape pest and disease vector. Their increasing
resistance to chemical ...

The bacterial symbiont AM7T, isolated from a novel entomopathogenic nematode species of the genus Heterorhabditis, displays the main phenotypic traits of the genus Photorhabdus and is highly pathogenic to Galleria mellonella. ...

African Acacia species are often major contributors to the progressive increase in the woody component of savannas, a phenomenon commonly referred to as bush encroachment. In Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the numbers of adult ...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) were evaluated for their potential use as
biological control agents against Phlyctinus callosus, the banded fruit weevil
(BFW). The susceptibility of larvae and adults to EPN was evaluated ...

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to establish the potential of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) as
biocontrol agents of Planococcus ficus (Signoret). Six indigenous and two commercially available nematode
species ...

In South Africa, the most common method of mealybug control has been the use of chemical insecticides. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the of the families Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae potentially can be used ...

There is an increased need for support for continuous biodiversity monitoring programmes in commodity production landscapes; the pressure for such supports arises from a variety of sources. We highlight our rediscovery of ...

INTRODUCTION: Miller (2005) and Stokes (2006) draw our attention to a crucial issue: humans are losing touch with
nature, particularly in the urban environment. Miller (2005) has called this the ‘extinction of experience’.
We ...

Tropical island species and ecosystems are threatened worldwide as a result of increasing human pressure. Yet some of these islands also lend themselves to restoration, as they are physically defined units that can be given ...

The academic study of dragonflies and damselflies (odonatology) is well established, but relatively limited attention has been given to odonates in the context of applied ecology and conservation science. We used the Web ...

A major threat to marine ecosystems is the establishment and proliferation of invasive alien species. This study addresses gaps in our knowledge regarding marine alien invertebrate species in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve ...

Phenotypic performance in different environments is central to understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive adaptive divergence and, ultimately, speciation. Because habitat structure can affect an ...

Riparian ecosystem along rivers and streams are characterised by lateral and longitudinal ecological gradients and, as a result, harbour unique biodiversity. Riparian ecosystems in the fynbos of the Western Cape, South ...

Gene flow between related plant species, and between transgenic and non-transgenic crop varieties, may be considered a form of biological invasion. Brassica napus (oilseed rape or canola) and its relatives are well known ...

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema khoisanae n. sp. is described from South Africa. The new
species is characterised by morphometrics of the infective juvenile with body length 1076 μm, narrow body ...

Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide used for the control of the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus.
However, biological control of P. ficus is the primary alternate management method recommended for
the integrated control ...

Codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidea), is the key pest
of apples and pears in South Africa. To date the control of codling moth in apple
and pear orchards has depended on the application of insecticides ...